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A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 5:28 am
by AussieRod
The Handbrake and I are currently away on a drive trip to Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayer's Rock) in the Northern Territory. The route goes via Adelaide in South Aus, Port Augusta, Coober Pedy (the famous opal mining town) and on to Alice Springs. I am towing a 20ft Jayco Starcraft Outback behind the Triton. Its all-up weight is 2450 kg, well with-in the Triton's (supposed) towing capacity of 3000 kg with a max 300 kg ball weight. The jayco is 185 on the ball. Of course, it wouldn't do without pics:
Ready to head off:
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Extra spare tyre for the Triton, toolbox (bolted on) and 5 jerry cans for the longer legs in the outback. Towing the van limits me to 350 km per tank, so I need at LEAST 600 km EXTRA:
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First stop: Sealake. Toilet break and needed to empty one of the cans into the tank, as it leaked, all over the tray and the front of the van:
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Spotted an old Lee Grant tank in Murray Ville, alongside a Churchill chassis:
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Churchill chassis:
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Another Lee Grant and Churchill chassis over yonder:
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 5:35 am
by AussieRod
Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 5:41 am
by AussieRod
Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 5:47 am
by AussieRod
The "Beetle" in town:
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Wall art:
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Various buildings in town, many burrowed into the hills to originally find opals, then to provide acommdation away from the summer heat:
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Looking up the shafts drilled to excavate for opals, now a church:
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 5:51 am
by AussieRod
Inside the church:
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The shafts are in the roof in the centre rear of the room.
Looking over the back of the town:
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Dug-out home:
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Another, complete with abandoned Land Rover (wanted to take this home!):
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 5:56 am
by AussieRod
Local underground museum, excavated right in the middle of town in the main street:
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Another dug-out:
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On top of and from the museum roof(?):
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Bucket winch (minus drive motor):
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 6:02 am
by AussieRod
Various art made from dis-used and worn-out equipment, plus some weird imagination:
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Air powered tunnelling machine, still in use in many of the mines here:
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Air powered bucket loader:
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Backyard built diesel powered air compressor:
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Air powered mine loader:
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 6:07 am
by AussieRod
Tailings processor built on an old bus:
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This underground dwelling was excavated BY HAND with pick and wheelbarrow by 3 WOMEN, back in 1961:
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They even dug in a Granny Flat (to double their water ration from 1 44 gal drum a week to 2):
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They at least had the good sense to put in a good wine cellar:
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 6:14 am
by AussieRod
Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 6:21 am
by AussieRod
A fur rug, coloured by using various furs from different animals sewn together:
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Out at the "Dog proof" fence, 15 km from town on the Oodnadatta road. A poison warning notice:
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The road crossing grid:
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I think a smart dog would have no difficulty here:
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Obligitory picture here. Note the T shirt? (My LAST NEW GFB T shirt, worn just for this occasion):
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 6:27 am
by AussieRod
Serbian Othodox Church, dug into a hillside, VERY professionally done, I might add:
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Entry:
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Hand-carved statue relief (not easy to see because of bloody flash):
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Main hall. 5 horizontal shafts were bored, then all excavated by one of those little tunnelling machines I snapped earlier:
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 6:33 am
by AussieRod
I shit you not, you have to see this church to understand the precision they cut this place out with. It is MAGNIFICENT!
Priest's antechamber:
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Plaque outside:
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Tour bus had this nice bumper on the back. I needed a picture for future inspiration:
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On the road, heading for NT and Alice Springs. Man, is it boring out here:
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Relay stations, powered by solar:
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 6:38 am
by AussieRod
A welcome sight, 394 km later:
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Welcome to the Northern Territory. Cut the picture a bit to get rid of the tourists:
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The border:
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Left foot in NT, right foot in SA:
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Back on the road, I was amazed at how the scenery changed just by crossing an imaginary line:
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 6:41 am
by AussieRod
Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 6:48 am
by AussieRod
Back in 1994, there was a Cannonball run here in the NT, as there was no speed limit back then in the NT. A Japanese driver and his nav were approaching a check point, and he braked suddenly rounding a curve and skidded out of control, wiping out the check point manned by 2 officials. All were killed in the accident. The Ferrari piloted by the Japanese dentist was estimated to be travelling at more than 100 mph when he hit the checkpoint. This is the memorial to them, on the spot where they all died:
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We are currently camped at a park in Alice Springs. I'll add more pictures as I take them, it's getting late and I have to shower and hit the hay, it been a long day.
Cheers from Alice Springs, Northern Territory.
Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 10:46 am
by ChaseTruck754
Interesting spots for sure! Thanks for sharing.
Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 3:05 pm
by AussieRod
ChaseTruck754 wrote:Interesting spots for sure! Thanks for sharing.
No problem, Steve. I've got lots more pictures, but tried to post up some of the better ones. On the return trip, I'll add a few more for each destination and distances involved as well.
Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Thu May 04, 2017 10:17 am
by SteveG
Very cool! Looks like an interesting trip.
Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 12:16 am
by zachwabbit
So much cool stuff! Maybe one day I'll make a trip out there to explore some, but I'll likely just come back with lots of RHD truck and JDM parts lol
Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.
Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 3:18 am
by AussieRod
I'm going to update once I get home tomorrow night. I have about 800 photos to sort through.